End of Days
by OfficialBacon
Summary: What would happen if there were no Elements of Harmony? No Tree from which to harvest them? Who would save Equestria from the villainy knocking at its door? Perhaps the answer can be found in the past.
1. Chapter 1

The story of our friend begins just over 1000 years ago, during the reign of the evil, chaotic being known only as Discord. The two great Alicorn princesses by the names of Celestia and Luna had spent decades in their attempts to overthrow the tyrant, but to no avail. There simply wasn't enough magic in the world to stop him. At least, not until **he** came to town.

"Discord!" The voice was deep and somewhat scratchy, like that of someone who has seen the worst that can happen and is still alive to tell of it. The tyrant stared down from his throne.

"Did someone page me? Oh, hello there. You look a bit different from those other two." There stood a new Alicorn, just as tall as Celestia. His coat was tan, his mane and tail a shocking orange. "Well, do tell me your name. I hate being at a disadvantage in conversations like this."

"My name is of no concern to you. I have come here to deliver a message to you from Equestria and its people." Discord leaned on the arm of his chair, a bored, skeptical look on his face.

"Go on. I'm listening."

The Alicorn grinned. "Good. Here is the message. Your time is up." As he spoke the last words, a field of magic surrounded his entire body and he lifted into the air. Discord laughed heartily.

"Oh, please don't hurt me. If two Alicorns couldn't stop me, what makes you think you'll do any better?" The pony turned just slightly, revealing his cutie mark. It was a scythe crossed with a sword.

"Because, Discord, they were not me. You wanted to know my name? Fine. My name is End. Day's End. And this is the end of your days as ruler of this land." Discord's eyes widened ever so slightly. Day's End held out one hoof and the magic field surrounding him shrank into a single point at the end of it, collapsing into a ball.

Discord began to laugh. Laughing so hard he fell out of his throne. "So you think you'll beat me just like that? No, no, no." Discord suddenly appeared in front of Day's End. "I don't plan on going down." Day's End didn't stumble back, didn't blink. The ball in his hoof continued to grow.

"Too bad for you, Discord. I've already got plans for you." He reached back and threw the ball that was now bigger than Discord himself. The explosion that ensued blasted away everything in a five mile radius with the exception of Discord and Day's End. As the smoke cleared, there was Discord, coughing slightly, but still very much alive.

"Well, that was a bit rude. I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I like you enough to let you run away." He brushed himself off with a feather duster that appeared from nowhere as End's lip raised in a dark grin.

"Who said anything about running away? I'm just getting warmed up." He cracked his neck and lowered back to the ground, trailed by Discord.

"You're going to fight me? Me? You do know of course that I have power enough to crush you like a soda can in one claw?" Day's End stuck his chin out, daring Discord to try his best. "Very well." Discord snapped and a gigantic hammer appeared above the pair, easily the size of an eighteen wheeler. It smashed down on top of Day's End, breaking into shards around his body. Discord's eyes bulged. "What are you?" End's grin only grew.

"Well, since you asked, here's your answer. You know how Celestia and Luna are the princesses of the sun and moon?" Discord nodded eagerly. "Well, I'm the prince of power itself. All the energy in Equestria is replicated right here." He tapped his chest. "Yours, the princesses, everypony's. I have access to all of it and my own. And you... well, I'm afraid you simply don't hold up. But I will be nice. I won't kill you. What I will do is imprison you. With any luck, the princesses will see fit to release you after a time, but I can't be sure. So just hold still for a second now." Discord's mind finally caught up with his ears and he backed away. He turned, trying to run, but to no avail. A gray beam had shot from End's horn and struck him in the back, turning him completely to stone.

Celestia and Luna both backed off from a hug with Day's End, a hug he had most definitely not consented to. He turned to the right and stared at the statue of Discord. "You know he won't stay in there forever." Celestia smiled softly.

"Perhaps, but you'll be around just as long as we will, and probably longer. You'll be here to put him back in his place." Day's End stared down at his hooves.

"Is something wrong?" Luna sounded concerned. End took a deep breath.

"I was born with the will and ability to fight for Equestria, but without a reason to fight I don't have a reason to live. I only have one option if I wish to remain who I am and not become somepony I would end up fighting. I need you to put me to sleep until the next great threat arrives." They both gasped, staring at one another. "In this way, I will remain as a protector to these people, and not a threat with my own power." Celestia trembled ever so slightly.

"But... You are the sole prince of Equestria. The people need your guidance." Day's End chuckled.

"Clever, but I'm afraid not. I am no leader. For this guidance they can turn to you. At the end of the day, I am just a guardian." Tears dripped from Luna's eyes as she spoke, much softer than usual.

"That's not true. You are more than that, and you know it." End turned to her, placing a hoof under her chin.

"Perhaps someday I will emerge from my stasis with a new purpose, but I cannot pursue it yet. Remember though, I will always be there. If ever Equestria is in need, know that and sleep soundly."

He walked through the doors into the first built floor of the castle. Celestia and Luna followed him, each trying their hardest to maintain an image of strength. He stepped down into the basement and lay in a corner, looking up at the two of them. "I will seal the room. All you need to do is put a sleeping spell on it." Luna could no longer contain herself. She broke down in tears, running over to him and gripping him as tight as she could. Day's End hugged her back for a moment, then held her out away from him. "Now, there can't be any crying. I'm not going anywhere. This isn't a goodbye. This is just me turning in for a long night of sleep." Luna sniffled and nodded. "There. Now go on home, and I'll see you later!" They stepped through the open door and both of their horns glowed. The wall closed behind them.

Day's End curled up, feeling the sleeping spell begin to take effect. He smiled, safe with the knowledge that when he next awoke it would be to the faces of the two great Equestrian princesses. Discord was trapped, Equestria was back under the control of the ponies, and he would be here to make sure it stayed that way. Still, he couldn't get the looks on Celestia's and Luna's faces out of his mind. They had seemed so sad, heartbroken even. "I'm sorry, but this is the only way." His eyes lowered shut, and he was swept into dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, let's go one more round. Don't hold back this time." The taller man nodded and spoke.

"I won't. You've already proven that you can go toe to toe with all of my first forms, so I'll jump straight to this new one I've been working on." He crouched into a stable position and gave a long, loud yell. Light flashed from his entire body, blinding Day's End temporarily. When he could see again, there was someone completely different from his sparring partner. Silver hair flowed down his back, and his entire body was coated in silver fur. When he spoke, his voice was notably deeper and angrier. "How do like this one? All my training with Shenron got me here, now let's test it out." He held both hands out behind him and took a breath. Day's End stumbled back. The power radiating from this form was incredible, and he was starting with his best attack. "KAAA... MEEEE..." A ball of shining energy appeared between his hands, and Day's End squared himself, producing a ball of his own at the tip of his horn. "HAAAA... MEEEE..." The ball at the tip of End's horn grew, becoming bigger than himself. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" His opponent shoved both his hands forward, a huge blue beam bursting forth from between them. Day's End released all the power contained in his own attack, and it screamed forward, directly in the path of the opposing beam. He watched, pushing his power into the blast as they grew closer and closer. He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact.

SMASH.

He jolted awake, shaking his head from the dizziness induced by being slammed in the head with a three ton stone block. He looked up and saw the sky. Not a big deal. He saw the sky in lots of his dreams. He lay his head back down, trying his hardest to get back to the duel with his friend, but he heard something. "Luna! You must stop this! I will not fight you!" His head shot up and so did his body, leaping straight out from the hole created in the ceiling. There was Celestia in front of him, her eyes dead set on something a bit further up. He took note that the castle he had fallen asleep in was almost entirely destroyed. It looked like one of his earlier sparring matches in his dreams before he had deemed it too unsafe to continue fighting in environmental settings.

His eyes followed the path that Celestia's were taking and he came to the most terrifying thing he had ever seen. A dark Celestia? He rushed to her side, noticing now that she had been injured. "Milady, are you alright?" She swallowed, trying to move the words from her mouth.

"I-I am. I'm glad you've been awakened. Perhaps you can talk some sense into her." His eyebrows raised.

"What do you mean?" She gestured up the seemingly dark version of herself.

"Luna has... changed." He was silent. He couldn't bring himself to speak. The evil he felt radiating from that creature was nothing like the Luna he had known. It couldn't possibly be her. A booming voice echoed through the room. Luna's voice.

"Do not speak of me as that pathetic little sister you used to have. I am Nightmare Moon, goddess of the night!" He closed his eyes, trying to shut out what he knew had to be done. "And you, Day's End... Yes, it is good to see you have awakened. See what you have done to your realm. Had you been awake and present with us these years, this would never have occurred! And yet you spoke of protecting the people. Hah!" He turned, steel in his eyes.

"I protect these people from the threats that arise in this kingdom. You are not one of those threats, Luna." She reared, stomping her hooves onto the ground.

"DO NOT CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" Day's End did not react, but continued speaking.

"I know you. I know that you are one of the gentlest and kindest ponies throughout Equestria. I know that you would never hurt anypony, even if it meant your own honor and life were sacrificed."

Thunder crackled behind her as her horn began to glow with raw darkness. "You will stop speaking now or I will blast you and this entire castle into Tartarus." Day's End took a breath and shook his head slowly.

"No you won't. And I know why." He rose into the air and began moving toward her. She shuddered with rage, but still she did nothing. He landed beside her, nuzzling up against her. "Because you love me, and I love you." She blinked. Her horn stopped glowing, and she began to shrink. She stumbled forward and bowed down, covering her eyes with her hooves. Celestia landed beside the pair, staring particularly hard at Day's End.

"Oh, sister. What have I done?" Celestia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, obviously trying to remain objective.

"Luna, you have done nothing. All ponies are subject to temptation, and nopony is perfect. I am only glad we had Day's End to help you." Luna uncovered one eye, and seeing that Celestia was not angry, she stood to her full height again.

"Please, please forgive me. I-I've destroyed our home." Tears streaked down her face.

"There is nothing to forgive. A home can be replaced, but my little sister cannot." Celestia walked over and nuzzled Luna's shoulder. The princess of the moon looked tense and even scared for a moment or two, but she finally eased up and took part in the hug. Day's End turned and walked away.

"Day's End! Where are you going?" He stopped and sighed. He hadn't wanted to explain this, even though he'd been feeling it in the short time he'd been awake. He turned.

"I'm going away." Both princesses got a shocked look on their faces. What was he saying? Just run away like this? After what he'd said? "And I'll tell you why. During my sleep in the catacombs, I didn't stay in Equestria. I traveled through worlds beyond imagination. In my travels, I traded blows with some of the most powerful beings in the universe, both good and evil. I woke with the realization that I had become too powerful for my own good. I had caused one of the greatest fighters in existence to leap to his maximum power for no greater purpose than the chance at defeating me in a sparring match. I'm too strong for this world to handle. One slip and an entire city is gone, and that's the best case scenario. I'm sorry, but this is the best thing I can do." Luna shook, both with rage and grief.

"I can't do it. I can't lose you again. You saw what happened to me. I blamed my own need for you on Celestia and the people in Equestria. I-I can't handle you being gone. I need you, Day's End." He sighed.

"What would you have me do? Even the greatest of loves must come undone if more are to follow them." Luna ran to him, grabbing him around the shoulders.

"No! Take me with you if you must go, but do not leave me here alone!" Day's End was silent. Celestia moved toward the two cautiously, and spoke in a very soothing voice.

"There may be a way. A way for you to stay and not be a risk to the people." They both turned, completely attentive to Celestia. "A teleportation spell. If a physical charm is placed somewhere on your person, it can be used to take power directly from your body and place it somewhere that it can't do any harm. It's risky, and nopony has ever tried it before, but if you're willing, so am I." Day's End looked at Luna, silently begging him to say yes. He turned back to Celestia and nodded.

"Alright, now give it all you've got!" Day's End closed his eyes, and when they opened again they were solid gold. He yelled, his voice getting progressively deeper until it reached a rumbling baritone. The room shook as raw power erupted from the necklace wrapped around his neck, causing still loose stones to crash down. Still, it remained contained, and the necklace didn't show any signs of cracking. Finally he stopped, collapsing in a heap. Luna rushed to him, helping him back to his feet. His eyes were their normal dark gray again. He looked down at his necklace, feeling the power it contained. His power.


	3. Chapter 3

"Princess Luna, do you take this gentlecolt to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Tears of joy brimmed in her eyes, though the veil covered them.

"I do." Day's End was in a tuxedo for the first time in his life.

"And Prince Day's End, do you take this mare to be your lawfully wedded wife?" He swallowed, the word sticking in his throat.

"I-I do."

"Good choice, sir. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Bells tolled as their lips met, and the entire castle rose up cheering.

90 Years Later

Crying filled the room and Luna gasped with relief. She had never heard a more beautiful sound in all her life.

"It's a colt! Congratulations, Princess. It's a beautiful baby colt." Luna reached out, taking her newborn son gingerly from the doctor's arms. Her breathing was still a bit ragged, and Day's End stood beside her, cradling her shoulders in his hooves. No words could describe the joy they felt collectively. "Do you have a name planned for him?" The two looked at each other and then back at the child. His coat was black like his mother, but his mane was his father's bright orange. On his head was a tiny but perfectly formed horn. Luna spoke her son's name aloud.

"Dusk Star. His name is Dusk Star." She placed a kiss gingerly on the child's head as his cries slowly stopped and he sunk into sleep in his mother's hooves.

Day's End stepped from the room briefly, not willing to let his wife see him crying at a time like this. He sat down just outside the door and wept with pure happiness. He had a son. During all of his time asleep, he had dreamed about what it would be like to have a family, and now he had one. He stood, blinking the last tears from his eyes. As he reopened them, however, a terrible sight came to him. "No. No, it's too soon! He can't!" He looked back toward the hospital door and off down the hallway. In his vision, he had seen the spirit of Chaos himself. Discord had returned.

He had no choice. Discord was going to tear Equestria to pieces if he didn't get there in time. He only prayed that Luna could forgive him. He growled under his breath as he streaked across the evening sky. "Discord, you'd better be ready, because I'm going to tear you to pieces."

He landed in the center of a small town a few miles outside of Canterlot. Ponies were panicking already, and his dramatic entrance didn't make things any better. Oh well. He turned his head back and forth, searching in every direction for Discord. There, on top of the town hall. He galloped off in that direction.

When he reached the building, he saw six ponies standing before Discord, seemingly defying him. The leader of the group, a purple unicorn, spoke out. "Discord! You've caused enough trouble here. Turn Ponyville back to normal or..." Discord chuckled.

"Or what? So far as I can tell, there isn't a single pony in Equestria who can challenge me anymore."

"Wrong again." Discord's eyes bulged at the sound of End's voice. He turned in place, his feet creaking. "Yeah, I'm still here. That wasn't insulting at all." Discord lowered himself slightly, obviously ready for a fight.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the prince of power himself." The six ponies who stood before Discord gasped.

"I had no idea there was a fourth Alicorn! Who are you?"

"My name is Day's End. As our friend has seen fit to explain, I'm the Equestrian Prince of Power. I contain replicates of every ounce of magic and strength in Equestria, which basically means our friend here is already dead." The bright yellow one with a pink mane gasped, jumping between Discord and Day's End. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"No he's not! You can't just kill him! Nopony can just kill somepony else! Not just like that. It's...It's not right! I won't let you." Her eyes were filled with fear, but even more so with determination. Day's End brought up a hoof, a ball of magic forming at the end of it.

"Lady, please. I don't want to hurt you, but Discord must be dealt with. You have to move." She shook her head, grabbing Discord by the chest. Day's End swallowed, trying to being himself to launch the attack. It would have destroyed Discord entirely, but he simply couldn't give another's life just to defeat somepony like Discord. He couldn't. He lowered his hoof, the ball of magic dissipating back into his body. "Very well. I will remain on guard, and so help me Discord, if I hear a single negative word about you, you will regret stepping foot in Equestria. Am I understood?" Discord nodded furiously, gripping the yellow pony against him now. "Good." His eyes squinted and he looked around.

"Where is that coming from?" The purple unicorn stepped up beside him.

"What? What is it?" Her voice shook him back to the present.

"Oh! Um, nothing. I just thought I felt something really powerful. Either way, I'll be sending a guard patrol down to keep an eye on that one, so don't be surprised." He gestured back toward Discord. "See you later!" He took off, watching the bright blue pegasus with the rainbow mane as a stunned look crossed her face.

He crashed through the doors of the maternity ward like a football player and saw Princess Luna being wheeled down the hall, her eyes narrowed. He dashed forward to her, kissing her hooves, arms, neck, and finally her lips. "Please, please forgive me. The spell on Discord broke and I had to stop him. Luckily he's currently under the care of a few mares in Ponyville, so we should be okay for a while." Luna's eyes widened in concern, but the anger didn't leave them entirely.

"Was anyone hurt?" He shook his head briefly. "Well, that's good. Out of curiosity, were any of these mares a purple unicorn?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Now how could you possibly know that?" She giggled.

"That was Twilight Sparkle, my sister's student and assistant. She and her friends will take good care of Discord, which means we have all the time we need to ourselves." They continued down the hall, pausing only for the occasional kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**Eeyup. I did it. I shipped Luna with my OC. Forgive me my stereotypical sins, but it needed done. I couldn't possibly put him with any of the Mane 6 due to age differences/ personality issues. That combined with Luna's unique personality and moral situation made her the perfect match for Day's End. Do what you will, I can take it.**

"I'm honestly kind of glad they're having their wedding here instead of in your hometown. At least everypony knows their way around Canterlot." Day's End was speaking to Twilight, who seemed to be in what was the worst mood in history. It had been a year since the birth of his son Dusk Star, and he had been spending every available second with him. Luna had offered him a bit of time off in exchange for bringing the wedding party up from Ponyville.

"Yeah, sure. A wedding I wasn't even made aware of until a week before. By letter, no less." She sighed. "I mean, should I even be mad at him? Day's End chuckled.

"Trust me, you have every reason to be mad. But that doesn't mean you should be. You've got to let him live out his own life. Shining Armor isn't just Captain of the Royal Guard, he's somepony's fiance. Try to cut him a little slack. Now, whoever he's getting married to is a different story entirely. She should at least have tried to help him come down and see you. Don't you worry about a thing, though. I'll have a talk with her."

The train pulled into Canterlot two minutes early, leaving Day's End just that amount of time to ask the security guards where he might find the lucky couple. They gestured up to a bridge leading between the two tallest towers in the castle, claiming that the groom would be stationed up there. Day's End wasted no time at all and rushed straight up said bridge.

"Prince End! Attention!" Every single guard on the bridge snapped into a lineup. Day's End took a deep breath, trying to conceal his annoyance.

"As you were. Except for you, Captain. Follow me." Day's End hopped onto the shingles and slid down them, hopping from one roof to the next. After about three minutes he jumped down off of a side rail and landed safely on the ground, followed closely by Shining Armor. "I assume you know why I'm here, Captain."

"You've brought the wedding party up from Ponyville, sir?"

"Yes I have. But that's not why I'm here. I came to find you for two reasons, actually. One, I want to know why there's a full spectrum shield spell around this city. And two, I want to know why you neglected to come and tell your only sister that you were getting married to her foalsitter. That's the more confusing question out of the two if you ask me." Shining Armor stopped and stared down at his hooves.

"It's just that...Well, I've wanted to spend as much time as I could with Cadence recently. I feel like I have to be there beside her, otherwise I'm not myself anymore." Day's End sighed and turned to the white unicorn.

"What I'm about to say will make me sound heartless, cold, and calculating, but you're going to listen anyway. You don't have a commitment to Cadence yet. At the end of the week, you will have a set of rules that you must follow in order to meet the standards of a good husband. But before you say those two little words, your little sister is still your highest priority. If all else fails, ask Cadence for a day of space. But if nothing else, go be with your sister." Day's End gestured toward the train, waiting for some sort of a response from Shining Armor.

"Alright. I will. Thanks, sir." Day's End nodded and watched the younger stallion as he ran off.

"Now to handle whoever that is." He stared off in the direction of the castle. There was somepony there with strong magic, all right, but not Alicorn magic. He recognized the scent of it from Discord's reign. "Changelings."

"Cadence, answer me this. Why is it that you've suddenly decided that you need so much extra protection just for a wedding? When Luna and I got married a century ago there were far more threats than there are now, and we only had the castle guard." He could see her squirming, looking for an answer. Oh, she was a Changeling, all right. And a strong one, too. But still, he couldn't pin it on her without evidence, and there wasn't a spell in existence that could make a Changeling reveal itelf.

"Well, it's not that I don't trust the guards, but I also thought that an extra layer of protection might be called for with Discord on the loose again." Day's End chuckled. She was ad-libbing now. And badly to boot.

"What would make you think that any shield devised by Shining Armor or even the Princesses themselves would be capable of holding back Discord?" She stopped in her tracks. Day's End grinned. He had her now.

"Princess Cadence!" No, no, no. He looked off to where the voice was coming from. It was Applejack. "I thought you'd want to try some of these apple fritters I made up for your reception. They just got out of the oven." The supposed Cadence beamed.

"Why, I'd love to. Please, lead the way." She trotted off after Applejack, turning to give Day's End a burning look.

Day's End stood at the head of the throne room, watching as the faux Cadence strolled down the hall. Something was wrong. He could feel energy pulsing from her, far more than any Alicorn should have. Not only that, but Shining Armor's own power had dropped significantly. He took a deep breath, getting ready for the only chance he was going to get. Cadence stepped up to the altar, and his horn began to glow as electricity shot from his entire body, zapping everything around him. Cadence was hit in the rump and a magic field around her began to rupture.

"W-What is this?" Celestia, Luna, and even Twilight looked shocked (the latter not as much). Cadence's beautiful figure began to flow away and behind her facade was none other than...

"Changeling. Just as I expected." The ponylike being rose into the air.

"True enough, Day's End. But I am no mere Changeling. I am Queen Chrysalis!" Her voice boomed through the room, but Day's End wasn't the least bit shaken. He rose into the air to meet her.

"Fair enough. Why are you here, though?" She laughed.

"I should think somepony who knows enough about us to pick me out of a crowd would know why we might be here, but I'll tell you anyway. Canterlot is one of the most powerful emotional beacons we've ever come across. Love, passion, friendship. All of these abound here in a limitless supply. My Changelings are breaching the shield as we speak, and soon they will have enough emotional fuel to make us the strongest race in Equestria!" Day's End gave a half grin.

"That's a fine bit of planning you've got there. Just one flaw in it."

"And what might that be?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You've got to go through me to get to it." His horn began to glow and suddenly they were all outside, along with the entire Changeling army. "Here's what I'll do. As the sole prince of this land, you have my word that if you and your army can defeat me in combat, you can have every last piece of emotional energy that you can find. Otherwise, you'll leave. And you will never return." Chrysalis gave Day's End the once over, trying to find some sign that he was lying. There wasn't one.

"Very well. You have one minute to prepare and say your goodbyes." Day's End turned to his friends and wife.

"Listen up, everypony. I know I can beat them, but if I don't then go straight to the castle basement. Put a sleeping spell on yourselves and try to find anypony who can help you. For now, just get out of here. I've got this." Luna gripped him by the back of the head and dragged him in to her for a brief kiss. "I love you too, but trust me. I'll be fine." She nodded, swallowing hard. "Alright. Now go. All of you." He turned to Chrysalis as they ran off to the castle. "Shall we begin?"

"Changelings, ATTACK!" Every single one of the strange creatures charged him simultaneously, forcing him to duck and dodge back and forth. He rolled to avoid a flying kick and managed to leap up and smash the offending Changeling to the ground. He leaned backward, his mane brushing the ground as two of them leapt over his torso in an attempt to tackle him.

"Come on, I know you can do better than this. I haven't even broken out my magic yet." To prove his point, he stomped the ground and a shockwave threw every Changeling that was touching the ground into the air, completely out of control. He charged one group, leaving nothing but a trail of dust and ruts in the ground showing that a pony doppelganger had just made an exit. His horn began to glow and a burst of magic flew from it, breaking into smaller sections that surrounded each Changeling. He cracked his neck and they began compressing, gripping down on the creatures. He cracked the other side and every single Changeling still standing was slammed into the ground, knocking them unconscious. He turned to Chrysalis. "So, you still want to go a round?" She stepped back, fear written all across her face.

"H-How? I am the Queen of the Changeling Empire, and yet you have demolished my entire army in mere minutes. How? Tell me, how!?" Day's End huffed.

"Simple. You were greedy. You knew you couldn't control your army once they got a scent, so you had Shining Armor put up a shield. Unfortunately, this means that they didn't absorb nearly enough energy from the ponies in Canterlot to stand a chance against me." She stepped back even further.

"I-I'll leave. I promise." Day's End shook his head.

"Not good enough. You're going to leave right now, where I can see it happen. Go." She nodded, blinking rapidly. Her wings spread and she lifted off the ground, flying clumsily away from Day's End as fast as she could. He sighed as he watched her go. Luna and the others had already rejoined him. "She'll be back."


	5. Chapter 5

**It's time I apologized. I left out Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding because I have a personal dislike for wedding scenes in writing. I refused to destroy Chrysalis for a very good reason, but I simply cannot reveal it...yet. Just trust me and keep reading. (spoiler alert) King Sombra's finale is gonna be a Kodak moment, along with the introduction of my only other MLPOC.**

It has been a month since Queen Chrysalis was banished from Equestria. Since that day, there have been no threats to the land. Day's End, Twilight Sparkle, a group of her friends, and a group of fillies by the name of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been charged with attending the official swearing in of Prince Shining Armor and the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence. Day's End sat on top of the train. He didn't mind confined spaces, but he also like to see things coming. "So, why are you up here?" There it was again. That strange power. It seemed to be coming from the same spot as the voice behind him. He turned and saw one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing there. She was a pegasus pony, although her wings looked a bit small for her age. Her coat was a dull orange and her mane was magenta. An interesting combination.

"I like to get a jump on things before they get one on me. Just out of curiosity, do you even know about the power you're putting out?" A confused look crossed her face. "Right, so that's a no. Okay, let me explain it to you. I can sense energy from other beings, and you're like a huge beacon. I can't see any reason why, no offense. You simply seem to be very, very powerful."

"You're joking, right? I can't even fly yet!" Day's End chuckled.

"Untapped ability. Tell you what, you get the okay from your parents and I'll train you." He began to turn back to his vigil, but stopped. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm Scootaloo."

"Oh, come on! Please, sis?" Rainbow Dash shook her head.

"You know I can't let you do this, no matter how awesome it may be." Scootaloo's eyes were set, but she didn't speak again.

"Just out of curiosity, why not?" Everyone in the room bowed as Day's End lowered himself through the roof, but their heads were lifted again by End's magic. "Seriously, stop doing that. But in all seriousness, why wouldn't you allow her to train with me? I've been in the game for a while. I promise I won't give her any more than she can handle."

"Yeah, but I've always been there with her. If you're training her in Canterlot I can't be there to make sure nothing happens to her." Day's End threw his head back and laughed.

"Is that it? No problems here. I have basically nothing to do in Canterlot, what with Luna busy keeping the kingdom in line. I'll come down to Ponyville each day to train her. I might even bring Dusk Star down every once in a while. He's just old enough that you two might get to be good friends. That way you can keep an eye on us both." Scootaloo gave her sister the biggest, most adorable eyes she could manage. Rainbow Dash twitched once or twice, then sighed.

"Okay. But kinda give me a heads up before you guys get started. I don't wanna be left in the dark." Scootaloo jumped for joy, grabbing her sister around the neck and hugging her. Day's End stood by, a soft grin just barely parting his lips. She stopped as she hit the ground and gasped.

"I've gotta go tell the others!" She rushed off, jumping from car to car. Day's End chuckled, his smile barely noticeable now.

"I remember when I was that age. Well, mostly." Rainbow Dash sidled up to Day's End, being as stealthy as possible.

"Um, question? If you remember back then, could you tell me how you ended up with that totally awesome cutie mark?" He stared into the distance.

"Yeah, I remember. It happened when I was about six. That was the first time I met Lord Tirek. He's an evil centaur who tried stealing all the energy and magic from Equestria. He almost got away with it, too. Back then I was nowhere near as strong as I am now, and I needed the help of the princesses to banish him. During the final stretch of the battle, this appeared." He gestured to the crossed scythe and sword on his flank. "It symbolizes my ability to protect Equestria, and the fate I bring to those who would harm it." Dashie's eyes bulged a little as she backed away.

"Riiiight. Well, I think we're almost there, so I'm gonna go make sure I've got all my stuff where it needs to be." She ran after her sister, leaving Day's End alone in the car.

Day's End gave a low whistle as he stepped from the train into the knee deep snow. "I'll never get used to this place." He looked around, his eyes narrowed. "And I'll never get used to that power, either. Where is Shining Armor?" The guard he had just asked rattled under his gear and gestured to a station a few yards away. Shining Armor was just now leaving it.

"Twilight!" The siblings ran up to one another, giving a brief hug. "Come on, we don't have any time to spare. We've got to get to the Empire as fast as possible." They all began trotting toward a green dome in the distance.

"So, what's been happening?" Shining turned toward his fellow prince.

"Well, I've been working around the clock on security measures, but there's something out here that wants into the Empire in a bad way. Cadence has been using her magic nonstop for almost two weeks now to spread peace and keep him out, but even she's starting to run out of steam." Day's End nodded.

"I can help with any monsters trying to get in, but I don't think that's what we're dealing with here." Shining cocked his head. "You know why the Crystal Empire disappeared in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, it was destroyed by King Sombra and then both he and the city were banished by the princesses."

"Eeyup. Thing is, now that the city's back, so is he. Now, normally I'd say I'll take care of it for you, but until we get him into a physical form all I can do is play defense. That's our main focus." Suddenly everypony else was galloping past them at top speed.

"RUN!" He turned, and there it was. The gigantic cloud of smoke and magic that was King Sombra was after them.

"I got him!" They both spoke at the same time. Day's End raised an eyebrow. "Sorry Shining, but you might not be enough on your own. I think I've got this one." He nodded and ran off after all the others. Just in time, as King Sombra's smoke cloud had begun sweeping at End's feet. "Alrighty then. Let's see just how good you've gotten." Day's End leapt into the air, smashing the ice at his feet. "I learned this trick from a friend of mine, but I've had to alter it a little. I've been waiting for something to test it on. Thanks for volunteering." He drew both his hooves back behind his body, still facing Sombra.

"KAAAAAA...MEEEEEEEEE...HAAAAAAA...MEEEEEEE..." A ball of energy had appeared between his hooves. He knew this wouldn't be a permanent solution, but it might buy him enough time to get to the Empire. He looked back over his shoulder and saw the border just three hundred yards behind him. He turned back to Sombra. "HAAAAAAAAAAA!" He thrust his hooves forward, causing the giant beam of energy to burst forth from between them and smash into the ice, breaking through Sombra entirely. He turned and flew as fast as he could, leaving a streak of orange behind him as he went. Almost there...Just fifty yards...Thirty...Twenty...Ten...

"AUGH!" He collapsed in a heap, just barely skidding across the boundary into the warm sunlight. His entire body had been coated in dark gray crystals. Twilight and her friends were all collected at the edge of the kingdom, and they ran over to help him.

"Day's End! Are you okay?" He managed to get to his feet, despite having just gained almost eighty pounds.

"I'm fine. But you're probably going to want to go ahead and take the energy I've got left. It'll take me a while to break these things." Twilight's eyes bulged.

"You can't be serious! If I take that much power...I don't even know what'll happen!"

"Chill. You can handle it, and I'll generate more on my own. I give it an hour before I have enough to break these anyway. Just all the power you've got into giving him a physical form. That's the only way we're going to beat him." Twilight swallowed, stepping forward.

"Alright. How do I do this?"

"Just put your hoof on my neck. I'll do the rest." Twilight placed a hoof gingerly on a spot on End's neck that wasn't covered in crystals. "Good. Now just hold still." He closed his eyes and began yelling, his voice growing deeper every second. The ice began to crack and splinter around them, and sparks began flying off of Twilight's skin. After almost a full minute, his voice finally began to soften and die down. "Alright. That's all I've got to give right now." Twilight looked down at herself. She stumbled and fell, her eyes spinning.

"Whoo...That might have been a bit much." Day's End nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. That stuff hits a bit harder than magic. I probably should have gone a little slower. Anyway, you guys go on ahead. I'm not going anywhere until these crystals come off." He nodded them off toward the castle. "I'm fine. Just go!" They nodded, running off. He looked down at his body and sighed. "Let's get down to business, then." His horn glowed and a yellow mist began flowing into it. "Whoa! Too much!" His horn stopped glowing, and just in time. Steam had begun curling off his body. "That's right. The Crystal Empire's been gone for hundreds of years. It's full to bursting with energy. Great! In that case I've got maybe five minutes until these things are coming..." He stopped as the barrier behind him began to flicker. "Right. Let's make that three." His horn lit up again.

"Any spells at all? There's nothing that could possibly force King Sombra back into a physical form?" Cadence shook her head.

"And to be honest, Twilight, even if there was you'd probably know more about it than me. I'm just a leader, you've always been the smart one." Twilight flopped down on her haunches.

"How am I supposed to give Day's End a chance at beating King Sombra, then?"

"You won't need to." She turned, trying to find the voice's origin. It sounded like Day's End, but it couldn't be. It was deeper, and almost metallic. Her eyes met with a pony standing on the railing who was solid silver. His coat, his mane, his tail, even his eyes were a shiny metallic hue. The only exception was his cutie mark, which was a blue sphere.

"Wh-Who are you?" He chuckled.

"This is what I look like at full power. Most ponies never get a chance to see this. You know me as Day's End." Twilight spent a moment gawking at this incredible sight before she began updating her friend on what they had learned.

"There isn't a spell in existence that can force King Sombra into a new body. It simply doesn't exist, and building one from scratch would take me five years at best." Fighting Might nodded.

"That's fine. I won't need one. If I flood his current form with energy, he'll be forced to assume a physical form or he'll become unstable enough to be blown across Equestria. Once he's fully back I can actually fight him. And with that, I'll leave you to watch the show. Cadence, you can rest now. I'll take it from here." He lifted into the air as Princess Cadence collapsed. "Take care of her. I'll be back." And just like that, he was gone.

"SOMBRA!" The evil king turned, staring down a stream of energy that had locked itself into him. "You've reigned over these people long enough. Now you've met your end. Surrender and I will let you live in Tartarus." The king sneered as his body began to shrink and collapse into that of a gray unicorn. He spoke for the first time in almost five hundred years with a voice like a child screaming in ten times slow motion.

"You will let me do nothing. I serve no one. And now you fall." His horn began to glow and a pillar of crystal grew around him, coating his entire body. It began to carve itself, becoming a giant crystal sculpture of a unicorn. "Now do you see my power? Do you understand what you have brought upon this empire?" Day's End grinned darkly, rising to the eye level of the giant sculpture.

"I understand that you've underestimated me a second time. You won't get a third chance." He rose even higher, his body glinting in the sunlight. "I'm finishing this once and for all. Prepare yourself!" His horn began to glow, yellow sparks shooting off of it. The ground shook, but not from Sombra's heavy steps. End's horn began to glow, his entire body growing more and more muscular with every passing second. Huge bolts of raw power blasted from his horn and crashed down through the ice at Sombra's feet. "You can't harm me, Sombra. But if you truly think yourself invincible, stay right there." His voice was shaky from effort, but filled with purpose. King Sombra stuck his chest out, daring Day's End to do his worst. "Heh heh. Looks like I win. Ready...BREAKER BEAM, FIRE!" His entire body extended in every direction and a gigantic yellow explosion shot from him, engulfing King Sombra and the entire tract of ice he stood on. The blast slowed upon striking Sombra, but it continued on it's merry way, blasting a canyon in the now green landscape. The entire Empire was flooded with light from the blast for almost a full minute before it finally subsided and Day's End crashed to the ground.

"Where am I?" Day's End struggled to keep his eyes open. The light positioned above him was so bright that he could only see silhouettes. He heard his wife speak to him from above.

"You're home. You made it back." The scene with King Sombra flashed into his mind.

"Did I win? Is Sombra gone?" The silhouette he now recognized as his beautiful wife nodded. The door swished open and the nurse's soft voice spoke from out of his view.

"We need to speak with him alone for a moment, Princess." Her eyes widened in fear, but she nodded and stepped out of the room. The doctor followed the nurse into the room, a sad look on his face. Day's End had a feeling he knew what he was about to hear.

"Sir, we have a bit of bad news that we have to give you."

"Well, let's hear it." The doctor took a deep breath and continued.

"Moving all the way up to your maximum power proved to be more than your body could handle. Your energy production has slowed down to the point where you have perhaps ten years left. Less if you continue fighting the way you have." Day's End stared up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, sir. That's just the way things are."

"I understand. Thank you, Doctor. Please send my wife back in here." The doctor nodded as he and the nurse left. Luna came galloping back in a moment later.

"What? What did they say?" Day's End smiled softly, his eyes filled with regret.

"You might want to sit down for this, Luna."


	6. Chapter 6

Dodge, block, counter, roll. Day's End leapt back and delivered a devastating two hoof kick to Scootaloo's jaw. She'd been training with him for just under a year, and she was almost too good for him to handle. He hadn't been overestimating her power at any point, and now she was back up. "Man, that never stops hurting."

"Never will if I'm the one kicking you." Scootaloo chuckled and lowered herself.

"One more round?" End sighed.

"If you insist, but this is the last one. After this I've got to get going. I promised Dusk Star I'd show him the worlds I saw in stasis." Scootaloo nodded.

"I just need one more. I'll win this time." She charged, ducking under his initial spin kick and elbowing him in the stomach. He shot backward until he touched ground again and managed to slow himself. By the time he recovered she was already on him again, attacking with a flurry of punches. He studied her as she fought to get in another hit and keep the advantage.

Under his tutelage her wings had grown to become even bigger than Rainbow Dash's, although she still wasn't quite as fast as her older sister. Her body had grown as well, her legs lengthening and her frame slimming out. She was toned, told obviously by the sinews in her muscles stretching against her skin as she continued to throw attacks at him. And probably the greatest bit of all: she had gotten her cutie mark. It was a spiky green aura emanating from a solid black pony that shared her body type. Both of her wings came up from the side and jabbed at his face. He leaned, rolling himself onto two legs as time slowed down. He pushed off with his foreleg, bringing his hindquarters up to her jaw. He bucked out, slamming her in the face a second time. She flew off again, this time only stopping when she smashed into a tree. "You alright?" Her eyes didn't open, but they did squint as she nodded slowly. "Check in with Red Cross once you can move, I've got to be over at the castle yesterday." He ran off chuckling to himself.

"Daddy!" End's grin grew bigger than he would have thought possible four years ago. His son had grown into a fine young colt, stronger than any others his age. "Are we gonna go see all those cool places?" Day's End nodded, slinging his necklace off around his head.

"Yes. But first you have to put this on. Otherwise you won't be able to see anything." Dusk Star slipped the necklace on, and End's horn began to glow. Light burst forward from the locket on the chain and formed around them in a circle. "You see? This is one of the places I spent my time before you were born. It's called Earth." Dusk Star was dumbstruck.

"Can we get closer, Dad?" They zoomed in on the ball of green and blue to see a street crowded with strange two legged beings. "Whoa...What are they?" Day's End moved forward to one of them and gestured to it.

"These are humans. They share our level of intelligence, but they have no magic of their own. Because of this, they have advanced much more than we have, and have come up with things like these." He gestured to an enclosed carriage that sat very low to the ground. "See, nopony has to pull it. And this is one of their most basic inventions." Dusk Star plopped down, amazed at what he saw.

"Wow. Can I see one of the guys you trained with? Please?" He looked around as if he were expecting one of them to just walk in out of nowhere."

"Oh, all right. But just this once." End's horn glowed a second time, but he didn't get a chance to finish the spell. Twilight Sparkle had smashed into him, interrupting the necklace's signal and dissipating the image. "Twilight! What's going on?" She was panting, obviously having run a long way.

"Princess Celestia called me up to Canterlot...urgent...gotta go." Day's End didn't need to hear any more. He picked her up, set her sidesaddle on his back, grabbed Dusk Star and set him beside of her, and they were off.

"Luna! Celestia! What have you called us here for?" Luna's eyes bulged upon seeing her husband.

"No! Get out! Quickly!" He was shocked to hear words like this from his own wife, but he didn't hear anger in her voice. Only fear. Celestia hovered over to him and began to speak to them both.

"An old threat has returned. Lord Tirek is back." Day's End raised an eyebrow. "He is a centaur, an evil overlord who has the ability to steal magic, flight, and strength from anypony who crosses his path. We banished him during your stasis with help from his brother, but he has returned and is already on another magic stealing spree. We plan on sending Discord to apprehend him." Day's End raised an eyebrow.

"Why Discord? As powerful as Tirek could become from absorbing all of Equestria's power, I don't really think you need someone quite that insecure in his loyalties. A personal suggestion would be to send either me or Scootaloo. She's become very adept at missions like these in the past year." Celestia stroked her chin.

"True. Very well, I will send Scootaloo to hunt along with Discord. He will be there to serve as a guide and nothing else." Day's End nodded and turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks upon hearing the new tone of Luna's voice.

"Day's End, you must not pursue Tirek under any circumstances. The cost that would ensue should he manage to absorb even a fraction of your power would be immeasurable. Please let us handle this." Day's End closed his eyes and swallowed his pride. He knew the real reason she didn't want him to go, although it was a subject they had both promised not to discuss out loud until the time came.

"I will. You have my word." He wasted no more energy on words as he left.

"Well, well. How about this, hmmm? It seems we've caught you red-handed." Discord gestured to Tirek's hands, which were indeed red. "Now, just give back the power you've stolen and I won't sic my little friend here on you." Scootaloo pawed the ground, her wings fluttering in anticipation. Tirek spoke in a raspy voice still, but it was laced with power.

"Discord? The spirit of Disharmony has chosen this time to side with the ponies? How strange. I heard throughout Tartarus that you were the greatest villain Equestria had ever seen. How disappointing." Discord yawned into his hand.

"Ho hum. Honestly, you might as well hand yourself over. I couldn't go back to being evil even if I wanted to, and I really don't anyway. Scootaloo, do your thing." The tan mare advanced on Tirek, but he wasn't out of tricks yet.

"Oh, very well. I wasn't going to bring this trick out until much later, but if you insist..." His mouth gaped open and Scootaloo dropped to the ground, her eyes glazing over. Discord jumped in front of her, shoving her away from Tirek's power drain. Slowly, the centaur began to grow. His cloak tore into pieces around his bulging muscles and his horns grew to almost a foot long. His voice had deepened considerably. "Incredible. To think that one mare could possess so much power... and she's not even an Alicorn! I'll just take the rest of it, and have enough power to outmatch the entire Equestrian army. No problems at all." He advanced on Scootaloo, but Discord stepped up to him, squaring off with the centaur.

"I'm afraid not, Tirek. Judging from the power you've taken so far, I'd say you're still no match for me." Tirek threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, Discord. What makes you think I'm going to fight you? That would be pointless at this stage. On the other hand, taking your energy would be beyond satisfying." Discord's eyes bulged as he registered the centaur's words. He grabbed Scootaloo under one arm, but didn't have the time to teleport before Tirek opened his gaping jaw. He dropped to his knees as the power drained from his body. His vision was already getting blurry... now he was seeing things. A purple alicorn flying along whilst carrying him and emitting a magical aura almost as powerful as Day's End himself?

"Twilight?" The alicorn looked back, grinning from ear to ear. "But...how?"

Day's End sat in the basement of the castle, his eyes firmly shut. "Are you there?" He didn't speak aloud, but the words echoed in his mind. "Hello? Anypony?" His eyes snapped open again. It was pointless. He couldn't find anypony to train with, and the constant fluctuation in powers was driving him insane. He began pacing back and forth, trying to understand the recent turns of events. Scootaloo and Discord had found Tirek, and somehow had managed to both lose about half of their total power. Twilight had been granted some immense power, and the other three princesses had lost theirs entirely. Tirek was now as strong as Discord, Twilight was almost as strong as himself, and Scootaloo was out of commission. "Great." He took a deep breath. "I'm not going up there. I'm not doing it. Nope. No way. Uh-uh. Not happening." He plopped down in the middle of the floor, staring away from the staircase that led up to the main hall. "Not moving. Not until this is over." He squared himself into the corner and prepared for a long wait. He blinked one time, and felt something truly terrifying. He couldn't feel Scootaloo at all anymore. His head turned. "Ok, fine. I'm going."

He smashed through the trapdoor like it was made of paper and the throne room doors flew open before he even touched them. "What is wrong with my student?" His voice was oddly calm, but his face was a book about terror and sadness. Scootaloo lay behind everypony else with Discord standing over her. "What did you do to her, Discord?" His lip twitched, clearly trying not to show anger.

"I did nothing other than what she asked me to do. Tirek took an even half of our power from both of us, and she volunteered the remainder of her power to me to assist in finishing this fight." Day's End looked suspicious, but he said nothing further to the chaotic being. Instead he turned to Twilight. "I'm guessing you're the new capsule for the Princesses' power?" She nodded. "Good. You willing to tag team with me?" Luna jumped in here, weak as she was.

"You cannot be serious. Fighting Tirek now is suicide!" Day's End turned to her with a skeptical look on his face.

"And yet you were willing to send somepony with less experience and only equal power to myself to fight him. If we work in a team our chances double. Discord, you're in too. If it's the last thing I do, Tirek is going back to Tartarus."


	7. Chapter 7

"Tirek." Everyone within earshot shied away. The voice was nothing but anger and hatred. "You picked the wrong people this time." The centaur turned leisurely, seemingly enjoying this monologue.

"Oh, did I? I think I've picked quite the paradise. So much magic to steal, and all the time in the world to do it. And I can't possibly express how grateful I am that you last three containers of magic have come to me. Chasing you all down would have been quite the hassle." Day's End stepped forward, pawing the ground in anger.

"If you want my power, you can pry it from my cold dead hooves. Until then, I think I'll smack you around a little." Tirek laughed.

"Really? You plan on going hoof to hoof with me in your condition? I'll be amazed if you last a minute." Day's End chuckled.

"Do I look stupid, Tirek? I think we both know I'm the strongest person here, but that's not to say I'm the only one who's a match for you. I might just lend Twilight enough of a hand to finish you." Tirek rolled his eyes.

"Of course you will. Actually fighting for your family yourself would be too much strain on your old bones." End's body bulged and the ground beneath him began to crack. "Be careful now, old timer. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself." Day's End turned to Twilight.

"You and Discord get ten minutes. If neither of you can finish this, I will." They both nodded. "Good. Now go before I get too twitchy." Twilight was the first to step forward. Tirek stood upright, cracking his knuckles.

"Excellent. A nice big dose of Alicorn energy to start off with." They both disappeared into thin air, reappearing thirty feet above. Twilight seemed to be fighting almost entirely with magic, while Tirek was taking a more physical approach. Sparks and shockwaves blasted from the battle scene, but nopony was gaining the advantage. "Good, Twilight. Now try THIS!" Tirek raised both arms and smashed Twilight down straight into the ground like a volleyball. Discord leapt between her and Tirek.

"Rest, Twilight. I'll handle him." Tirek threw his head back and laughed.

"Apologies, Discord, but you're the low man right now." Tirek leapt forward and smashed Discord across the field, pinning his head into a tree. The spirit of chaos pulled himself out and launched a blast of magic from his hands, obliterating the ground where Tirek stood. As the smoke cleared, Tirek was still there, not a scratch on him. "Really now? Is that the best you can do? In that case, this is barely even worth it." Tirek teleported directly in front of Discord and grabbed him around the neck. His jaw gaped open and power began draining from Discord. He kept it up for almost a minute before a kick from Twilight smashed him into the distance.

"Discord, how much did he get?" Discord's eyes were blurry, but he managed to speak a few squeaky words.

"All of it." Twilight gulped, waiting now for the inevitable.

"Twilight, take Discord and get out of here." She turned to Day's End with an incredulous look on her face.

"It hasn't been ten minutes yet. I can still wear him down some. You've got to let me stay and fight!" Day's End shook his head.

"I was foolish to bring along Discord. Now the price of my idiocy must be paid. I can handle Tirek alone. You just get everypony you can into a sturdy shelter. I don't plan on holding back." Twilight gasped.

"But with your body in the state it's in..."

"I know what will happen, Twilight. I've known it would come to this since before this battle began. Just...just tell Luna and Dusk Star that I'll miss them." Twilight bit her lip, doing her best not to cry. "There's no time. He's on his way back. Go." End's voice was completely level, the opposite of earlier. Twilight lifted Discord onto her back and teleported away just as Tirek skidded into the field.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! Come back here! You will fight me!"

"Tirek." The centaur turned to Day's End, steam blasting from his nostrils. "Twilight is the least of your worries. You're fighting me now." Tirek's face relaxed and grew smug.

"Really. You're actually going through with this?"

"You bet your life. And trust me, you're going to need every ounce of that confidence." Tirek stuck out his chest.

"Am I? Show me what you can really do, then." End's eyes closed and a field of magic formed around his body. His horn let off silver sparks as his eyes burst open and a scream flew from his lips. The aura around him grew immensely, tearing the ground into dust around them. The earth outside of the reach of his power shook, toppling trees and breaking boulders.

"What's he doing?" Luna's eyes bulged at her sister's words. For some reason it hadn't registered in her mind that it was her husband generating all that power. "He shouldn't be able to go this far with it, especially not with his body giving out. How is he pushing himself that far?" The castle began cracking and crumbling around them, huge chunks of brick and mortar falling around them.

"That's my colt."

"Incredible...He didn't even use this much power when he fought King Sombra, and that was when he was at his peak!" Twilight shook herself. "I've got to get back to Canterlot. The way he's doing this, all of Equestria is probably shaking like a leaf."

Day's End couldn't believe the pain he was capable of enduring. Nothing he had ever done had hurt this much, not even forcing himself away from Luna a thousand years ago. Images of her face flashed through his head, then came Dusk Star, then Scootaloo. Everypony he'd ever cared for was on the line.

"Impossible...Impossible!" Tirek's face was painted with rage and fear. "You cannot possibly be capable of gaining that much strength! Stop it!" Day's End did indeed stop. Light flew from his body, and as it faded there was a solid sliver Alicorn standing in the middle of a bubble of raw destructive power. He spoke in a deep, deceptively calming voice.

"So, Tirek. You up for round two?" The centaur grimaced, clenching his fists. His horns crackled with power as he spoke.

"Whenever you are." They both charged, but it was immediately obvious who the superior fighter was. Tirek fell back under a rain of crushing blows from Day's End, smashing through every obstacle in sight. He grimaced as wounds sprouted up on him, but his power kept him from collapsing entirely. Finally he swung a fist out at random and struck the pony, smashing him backward a few feet. "Ha...ha...ha...Not bad, but you can't hope to maintain that power long enough to finish me."

Day's End swallowed, doing his best to not look panicked. Tirek was right. No matter how much willpower he summoned, his maximum power would fail inevitably in five minutes, give or take twenty seconds. "Time isn't the issue here, Tirek. See if you can survive this, then you can brag." He rose into the air, his aura reasserting itself around him. His voice deepened as he groaned under the strain of his own power, and blasts of random energy beams flew from his horn haphazardly. "That's right, Tirek. This is your test. I've put everything I've got into this blast. Survive it if you can." Tirek closed his eyes and bent his knees where he stood, steadying himself for the impact. "BREAKER BEAM...FIRE!" A blast of immeasurable size flew from End's entire body, carving a canyon into the field they stood in. Tirek was lost in the light of the blast as it coursed past him, flying even past the clouds and into the open sky beyond the horizon.

"I'm alive?" Tirek questioned his reasoning as he began shoving rubble off himself. "That blast should have blasted me into Tartarus on a good day. Day's End must be slipping." He grinned at the thought. "Now, where am I?" Light shone through a hole in the rubble now, and Tirek jammed an arm through, crumbling the roof of his little cave and revealing none other than a ruined Canterlot Castle. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Princess Twilight. You have something that belongs to me." She looked weaker than before, she had obviously expended a lot of energy shielding her friends from the blast. All the better for him. He grabbed her around the neck, chuckling at her struggling, and drained every drop of magic from her body. Power coursed through him and his eyes bulged. "Incredible. This is what it feels like to control every ounce of magic in Equestria..." He sighed with contentment. "And this is what it feels like to crush those who have opposed me." He raised a hoof above Twilight's head, but just as he began to shove it downwards he was smacked in the face by an orb of energy. "Good to see you're still alive. I was looking forward to pummeling you into dust." Day's End stood in the doorway panting. Even such a small attack had taken everything he'd had, and it hadn't done a thing to Tirek. Even with all his fatigue, though, he managed a cocky grin.

"If you're feeling froggy, go ahead and take a leap." Tirek charged without another word and followed through on his threat. He grabbed Day's End by the skull and smashed him into the nearest pile of debris, demolishing it even further into particles whizzing about.

"You know what's sad, Day's End? You still think you can challenge me." Tirek lifted the Alicorn from the dust and flung him across the room. He was a mess, his mane matted with sweat and dirt. He smashed into the wall and fell to the floor, limp as a ragdoll. "Incredible. You're so weak it's not even worth toying with you anymore." Tirek chuckled as he spoke. He turned back to Twilight and picked her up by the head, his laughter growing ever louder.

"What's so funny?" Tirek's laughter faded away almost immediately. "Come on, turn around. Unless you're too scared to face me." Tirek turned his head, staring at a newly risen Day's End. His face was smug, confident, and rage-inducing. "You actually thought I was just going to drop dead for you? If that's the case, you're a thief, a liar, and an idiot."

"Obviously you never learned how to die in your thousand years of training. Let me teach you." Day's End shook his head, chuckling through his pain.

"You really are a fool. Let me explain this to you." His voice began to boom as his coat began to glow again. A flash filled the room, and when it faded there was a silver Alicorn in the center of the room. Tirek's eyes bulged and he stumbled back, tripping over debris.

"Impossible...NO! What are you!?" Day's End sneered, the hate in his eyes spreading through his face.

"I am the guardian of Equestria, in case you'd forgotten. Now, hold still. I'm going to crush you into a thousand pieces and personally escort you to Tartarus." End's eyes closed and his entire body began to glow even brighter. The entire castle was flooded with light as thoughts ran through his head. "Luna, Dusk Star, Scootaloo...This is for you. I give you now a new lease on life. Use it wisely. I love you all." With this last thought, the entire castle erupted in light as two lives met their end.

**Well, it's done. I may do a final chapter on this one covering End's funeral, depending on what reviews I get. Also, if you wish to see what becomes of Dusk Star, Luna, Scootaloo, and the severely beaten Chrysalis, please state it. Should that become a thing, it will be presented as a different story, just so you know.**


	8. Chapter 8

Rainbow Dash blinked tears from her eyes as she nudged the last cloud into position. It had taken her weeks to collect enough spare clouds to form this little gesture of appreciation, but it had been worth it. She looked down and admired her handiwork. Around the empty grave with a huge marble headstone was a beacon of sunlight, crashing down around it.

Meanwhile, hundreds of ponies poured into the castle grounds, each wearing a grim, sad expression. Pinkie Pie's hair had straightened out for the occasion, and even Rarity's dress was simplistic and solid black. Everyone turned away as the Princesses and Dusk Star came marching down from the castle doors. They seemed to radiate more sadness than anyone, although Dusk Star seemed at least capable of a grin.

As the royal guards lowered the casket containing End's crown and meager possessions into the grave, Luna moved to the podium. Her face was set, but her eyes were red and puffy. Even the princess of the night had limits. "We have all lost somepony today. Prince Day's End was a friend to us all. He worked tirelessly to ensure that everypony he met grew to be the best that they could be. Even when they-" She faltered here, taking a deep breath before she dared continue. "Even when they couldn't even see it in themselves. My husband...Our leader will be dearly missed." She stepped off the podium, finally giving in to her tears. Scootaloo took her place, a pained look on her face.

"Day's End spent the last year of his life training me to fight like him. What I never knew was that he spent that time fighting his own battle. For the last year our prince had been losing power from his own life force. He knew that in fighting against Tirek he would face destruction, and he did it anyway. He fought for peace throughout our land. He fought, I think, harder than anypony else in Equestria. I never became as strong as him in any way, but I'm willing to keep trying. I'm willing to continue the fight for the dream he died believing in. That's what he did for me. Think on what he did for all of you." The crowd was stunned into complete silence at her words. All except Luna, who gave the filly a gentle hug as she stepped down. Even more shocking, however, was the last speaker. Discord stepped onto the podium, his face downcast for the first time anypony had ever seen.

"I realize you might not all want to hear much from me, but I'm up here anyway. Day's End... He brought something to my attention. The first time we met, I believed myself invincible. It didn't take long for him to prove me wrong." He waited for a second and then continued. "When I awoke one thousand years later, I learned that he had been asleep almost as long as me. I couldn't believe my luck. A thousand years for me to build my power awake inside that stony prison whilst he had whiled away his time napping. Fortunately, I was wrong. Day's End spent those nine hundred years becoming greater than he had ever been. He didn't get an ounce of rest because he had spent that time training. Training to protect us all when the time came again. Even while he slept, Day's End was watching out for us. If I had to choose anypony to bring back throughout history, there would be no choice."

The crowd dispersed slowly as the dirt settled over End's casket. The last ones there were Luna, Scootaloo, and Dusk Star. Scootaloo was the first to speak as they stared blankly at his headstone. "Discord was right. He should never have gone." Luna was silent. "It's not fair! Why couldn't it have been somepony else?"

"Silence." Scootaloo stared in awe at the princess of the night. She had never heard a voice so calm in tone, but still so angry. "Day's End died so that nopony else would have to. By saying such things you dishonor his memory." Scootaloo huffed.

"Even so, it doesn't make things any better. I just wish he wouldn't have gone." She turned and walked away, her head hung low. Luna gave a last wistful gaze at the headstone, it's message still engraved in her mind as she turned and walked away with Dusk Star in tow.

"A great pony lies in this grave.

Let his sacrifice be known throughout all of Equestria.

And let none ever desecrate the memory of the great prince.

Here lies Day's End."

Scootaloo wanted to cry, but somehow couldn't summon the tears. She felt a hole in her soul, but she couldn't bring herself to weep. All she could feel was a sort of numb rage at everypony. It seemed like she could find a cause for End's death with anything if she looked hard enough. She tried banishing these thoughts from her mind, but was jerked out of her reverie by a raspy voice coming from behind her.

"Child, you wish to see your prince alive and well, do you not?" Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I do. But who are you?" The voice chuckled. It's owner was hidden beneath a burlap cloak, but a horn was clearly visible beneath the fabric.

"I am...a friend."

**There it is. I got a whopping one request for this extra chapter and the story that follows, but I'm doing them anyway. If you'd like to see the next section of this saga, check out my upcoming story titled: From Dusk 'til Dawn. Also, my precocious side has a question to ask all of you with Deviantart accounts. I wouldn't mind seeing fanart of Day's End and Dusk Star if you're willing to take the time and do it up. Anyway, see you in the next one!**


End file.
